Category: Entertainment

‘Khuda Aur Mohabbat”s OST declared No.1 by YouTube Pakistan

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

After reserving place in the hearts and minds of audiences, GEO TV’s blockbuster drama Khuda Aur Mohabbat and OST have now become 2021’s top trending videos as per YouTube Pakistan.

The streaming giant has released this year’s list of most celebrated videos, music videos and content creators on December 1 and the 7th Sky Entertainment production is leading the charts with the most amount of views.

The lists have been generated from a mix of content covering a wide range of daily life topics, videos, TV, and simple food recipes and tips. The lists also indicate how the user behaviour changed keeping the current Covid-19 situation in mind.

In 2021, YouTube Pakistan witnessed various videos that trended at the top in the country, dominated by the drama industry of Pakistan. This year Pakistani drama Khuda aur Mohabbat, took the number one spot on the Top Trending Videos list.

Here’s the full list of 2021 top trending videos.

 

1. Khuda Aur Mohabbat – Season 3 Ep 01 [Eng Sub] – Digitally Presented by Happilac Paints – 12th Feb 21

2. Chupke Chupke | Last Episode – Eid Special | Digitally Presented by Mezan & Powered by Master Paints

3. Ishq Hai Episode 1 & 2 – Part 1 [Subtitle Eng] 15th June 2021 | ARY Digital Drama

4. Ertugrul Ghazi Urdu | Episode 01| Season 3

5. POGARU (2021) NEW Released Full Hindi Dubbed Movie | Dhruva Sarja, Rashmika Mandanna, Kai Greene

6. Easy & Quick Cake Decorating Tutorials for Everyone | Top 10 Amazing Colorful Cake Compilation

7. Bhide Jumps Off Balcony?! | Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah | TMKOC Comedy | तारक मेहता

8. Kuriyan Jawan Bapu Preshaan | Full 4K HD | Full Comedy | Karamjit Anmol | Latest Punjabi Movie 2021

9. Miss India 2021 New Released Hindi Dubbed Movie | Keerthy Suresh, Jagapathi Babu, Rajendra Prasad

10. Speak English with Kids Sentences with Urdu Translation | AQ English

Top Music Videos

This year’s top music videos list in Pakistan, includes a more diversified mix of music genres, with Khuda Aur Mohabbat OST by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan on Har Pal Geo dominating the list. Lut Gaye presented by T-series took the second spot whereas, Saiyaan Ji by Yo Yo Honey Singh, secured the third spot, followed by the official music video of T-series song Chhor Denge by Parampara Tandon. Check out the full list below:

1. Khuda Aur Mohabbat | OST | Rahat Fateh Ali Khan | Nish Asher | Har Pal Geo

2. Lut Gaye (Full Song) Emraan Hashmi, Yukti | Jubin N, Tanishk B, Manoj M | Bhushan K | Radhika-Vinay

3. Saiyaan Ji ► Yo Yo Honey Singh, Neha Kakkar|Nushrratt Bharuccha| Lil G, Hommie D| Mihir G|Bhushan K

4. Chhor Denge: Parampara Tandon | Sachet-Parampara | Nora Fatehi, Ehan Bhat | Arvindr K, Bhushan Kumar

5. 8 Raflaan : Mankirt Aulakh Ft Gurlej Akhtar Ginni Kapoor Shree Brar Avvy Sra | New Punjabi Song 2021

6. Badshah – Paani Paani | Jacqueline Fernandez | Aastha Gill | Official Music Video

7. Ishq Hai OST | Rahat Fateh Ali Khan | Danish Taimoor | Minal Khan | ARY Digital

8. PANI DI GAL: Maninder Buttar feat. Jasmin Bhasin | Asees Kaur | MixSingh | JUGNI | Punjabi Song 2021

9. Baarish Ki Jaaye | B Praak Ft Nawazuddin Siddiqui & Sunanda Sharma | Jaani | Arvindr Khaira | DM

10. TU SHAYAR BANAAGI (Official Video) | Parry Sidhu | MixSingh | Isha Sharma | New Punjabi Songs 2021

Top Creators

Master Chef Ijaz Ansari Food Secrets is Pakistan’s top creator on YouTube in 2021, while popular mobile gaming channel Techno Gamerz remains ever-so popular as a YouTube creator in Pakistan with 22.2M subscribers. The channel claimed the second spot. Another cooking channel Baba Food RRC by Chef Rizwan Chaudhry with 2.51M subscribers ranked third in Top creators list. Here’s the full list of top 10 YouTube creators in Pakistan.

1. Ijaz Ansari Food Secrets

2. Techno Gamerz

3. BaBa Food RRC

4. Maaz Safder World

5. Star ANONYMOUS

6. Haider Tv

7. Voice Daily

8. QBC World

9. Village Food Secrets

10. Vocabineer

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Junaid Safdar’s valima date confirmed, ceremony to be held in Lahore

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Junaid Safdar, the son of PML-N President Maryam Nawaz and Captain Safdar, will celebrate his valima (wedding reception) in Lahore and the date of the ceremony has also been confirmed. 

Speaking during the hearing of Maryam Nawaz’s case in the accountability court of Islamabad, her lawyer —  Azam Nazir Tarar — confirmed December 17 as the date of the ceremony. He, therefore, requested the judge to fix the next hearing on some other date.

It may be recalled that Junaid Safdar tied the knot with Ayesha Saif, the daughter of Nawaz Sharif’s long-term ally Saif-ur-Rehman, on August 22 in London after which photos and videos of their nikkah went viral on social media. 

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who lives in London, also attended the ceremony. 

On the other hand, Maryam Nawaz and her husband could not be present at the wedding ceremony as her name has been added to the exit control list (ECL), which bars her from leaving the country before the conclusion of the court cases against her. 

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Uroosa Siddiqui leaves fans amazed with drastic weight loss

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

The surprised transformation of actress Uroosa Siddiqui has taken the internet by storm. The actress’s fans are curious to know the reason behind her rapid weight loss. 

Uroosa shared new clicks on her Instagram account wearing a stunning pink eastern dress flaunting her new haircut and flawless makeup.

In a separate black and white post she told her followers that “life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.”

Uroosa’s followers were quick to appreciate the actress for her new look and kept on asking the secret of her smartness in the comments on her Instagram posts.

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Hadiqa Kiani and Fakhr-e-Alam congratulates Arooj Aftab for Grammy nomination

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

The Grammy nominations for the 2022 edition were unveiled on Tuesday and a lot of music fans want to know about an unfamiliar name that has taken over social media. 

Arooj Aftab has become the first Pakistani to be nominated for the Best New Artist, which is described as a “category that recognises an artist whose release achieved a breakthrough into the public consciousness and notably impacted the musical landscape”.

But who is Arooj? According to Billboard magazine, she is a composer, vocalist and producer and has three solo albums to her credit. She was trained at the Berklee College of Music.

Arooj was born in Saudi Arabia and her family moved back to Lahore when she was 11 years old. In a profile published on ArtForum in April 2021, Arooj shared that she listened to Begum Akhtar, Mariah Carey and Billie Holiday while growing up and taught herself how to play guitar. It was in Pakistan that Arooj started promoting her music on the internet. Her covers of Amir Zaki’s Mera Pyar and Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah helped her establish herself as one of the first “indie” artists in Pakistan.

Arooj’s latest studio album Vulture Prince was released in May through New Amsterdam Records. The album has seven tracks among which Mohabbat and Last Night received acclaim from critics and audiences alike. She has collaborated with multi-instrumentalist Darian Donovan Thomas for Baghon Mein, and Brazilian singer Badi Assad for Diya Hai. 

In July, Arooj’s Mohabbat was on Barack Obama’s summer playlist as well.

Arooj Aftab has won a number of music awards. Last year, she received her first Latin Grammy in the best rap or hip-hop category. Arooj was honoured with a Student Academy Award for composing music for the short film Bittu as well.

A number of celebrities, including Hadiqa Kiani, and Fakhr-e-Alam have congratulated Arooj on her achievement and wished her luck. The 64th Grammy Awards will be held on January 31, 2022.

 

‘Khaani’ pair Feroze Khan, Sana Javed return for ‘Ay Musht e Khaak’.

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Fan-favourite duo Feroze Khan and Sana Javed are back to amaze audiences with their stellar performance. In their third collaboration with 7th Sky entertainment, Feroze and Sana are bringing their acting prowess with Ay Musht-e-Khaak. 

The first look of the drama serial, which is dropped by the actors on Tuesday, features a surreal Sana in an all-white ensemble.

“#AeyMushteKhaak !! A project very close to my heart coming soon#Dua,” wrote the actor, revealing her character name in the post. 

Feroze Khan on the other hand displays an intense look for the serial, donning a burgundy suit. “AY MUSHT E KHAAK,” wrote the actor as he tagged producers Abdullah Kadwani and Asad Qureshi.

Ay Musht-e-Khaak adds to the list of Feroze and Sana’s joint collaboration with Geo TV after Khaani and Romeo Weds Heer.

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Ali Zafar leaves Mrunal Thakur starstruck in Doha, sings ‘Jhoom’ for her.

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Pakistani superstar Ali Zafar is having Bollywood actors Mrunal Thakur and Mourni Roy fangirl over this infectious singing.

The Dhamaka star turned to her Instagram on Monday to share a video of the singer, crooning to his famous track Jhoom for the actor. The trio apparently met over a lunch date in Doha, Qatar.

In the clip shared by the actor on her photo-sharing app, Ali Zafar was seen sporting a while t-shirt paired with a navy blue upper. The star completed his look with a pair of brown-rimmed sunglasses.

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Arijit Singh inquires ‘why has Pakistani music been banned in India?’

Posted on by Ali Qasim

LAHORE- (NUT-DESK)

Indian singer Arijit Singh is heaping praises on Pakistani music and singers.

In a recent concert in Abu Dhabi, the Tum Hi Ho hit maker expressed his concerns around across the border singers being banned in his country.

“I have a question. It’s a wrong question, a controversial question. But still I want to ask it because I don’t give a d**n,” began Arijit.

The songster continued, “I don’t follow news but tell me one thing, has music from Pakistan has been banned in India?” 

“Is it still barred or has the ban been lifted?” asked Arijit, inviting an uproar from the crowd.

The singer went on to express his admiration for some of the best Pakistani musicians. 

“Atif Aslam is one of my favourites and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Shafqat Amanat Ali,” said Arijit, wishing a future collaboration between the two countries.

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Ajoka theatre set to revive the theatre scene at Lahore Arts Council!

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

After almost 2 years, Lahore is ready for its first stage performance, by Ajoka Institute’s “Art of Acting” students. Ajoka’s two acclaimed short plays entitled “Sharam Di Gal” & “Dhee Raniay” will be performed on Friday November 12th at 7 PM, at Alhamra Hall 3, Lahore Arts Council Mall road.

These short plays were originally performed over 25 years ago, and unfortunately, still remain relevant today. Women continue to face the same challenges they faced over two decades ago and a collective awareness is the need of the hour.

Ajoka Institute’s director Nirvaan Nadeem has directed both the plays. He told that aspiring actors from Ajoka’s acting class have put in lot of hard work and exercises for their maiden appearance on the stage. All the actors are very excited for this special performance and regularly practicing their roles in rehearsal sessions.

Ajoka Executive Director Shahid Nadeem shared that “Sharam Di Gal” & “Dhee Raniay” are evergreen plays, which were originally directed by Ajoka’s founding director Madeeha Gauhar. Both the plays highlight important social issues in an interesting way providing a socially meaningful entertainment.

The programme includes screenings and certificate distribution to the acting students. The event is being held in collaboration with Lahore Arts Council.

 

‘Squid Game’ returning for a second season, confirms director Hwang Dong-hyuk

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

The director of Squid Game, the dystopic South Korean TV series on Netflix, expressed confidence that the wildly popular show will return for a second season.

“We are in the talks for Season Two,” writer-director Hwang Dong-hyuk said in an interview on Monday. “It’s all in my head. I have the basic storyline, the broad plan, so we’re in the brainstorming stages.

“I’m going to go ahead and say there will be a second season, but as for when, I cannot tell you now,” Hwang added.

“He will come back, he will come back and do something about this world,” the director said, referring to protagonist Seong Gi-hun, played by actor Lee Jung-Jae.

Hwang, Lee and others involved in the show, one of Netflix’s biggest hits ever, attended a special Hollywood screening on Monday to celebrate its success.

Squid Game, in which debt-ridden people compete in a deadly game for a fortune, has inspired Halloween costumes and themed protests at the United Nations global climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland, among other things.

“It feels so surreal,” Hwang said of his creation’s impact. “It’s almost like I myself am living in a fantastical world.”

“I just can’t believe this is happening,” actor Lee said. “I did not know or ever imagined it would make it this big. I didn’t ever think we would get this much love, so being here and standing in front of you, everything, I just feel so grateful.”

The series’ success echoes that of 2020 Oscar winner Parasite, which also showed the gap between rich and poor in South Korea.

Actor Park Hae-soo, who plays a contestant named Cho Sang-woo, said, “Everybody actually has that rage, but I think the Koreans are really able to express that honestly.”

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Trailer reveal: ‘Khel Khel Mein’ highlights human cost of 1971 war

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

The trailer for Sajal Aly and Bilal Abbas Khan-starrer Khel Khel Mein is finally here, delving into the heart of the 1971 war and the subsequent birth of Bangladesh following the split between East and West Pakistan.

The trailer opens with a flashback to the moment of the split, with a turban-clad man announcing, “Your country has been broken apart. You are no longer in Pakistan, but in Bangladesh.” The announcement is met with a sob from a young man, who then falls to his knees in despair.

According to the trailer, the film follows a group of students, led by Sajal’s character, who wish to put on a theatrical performance on the fall of Dhaka at a competition being held in the same city.

The decision is met with backlash from faculty who do not wish to provoke unnecessary “controversy”. The trailer then follows the trials and tribulations the students, particularly Sajal’s character, undergo in order to put on the play in Bangladesh, which includes hostile attitudes from those on the other side on the border as well as friction from those at home.

The trailer ends with a voiceover from Sajal and Bilal, “Aik jaisa hi pyaar nikle ga, dil ki lelein talaashiyan donoun. Aik ghalti hui, kisi se bhi, maang lete hain, maafiyaan donoun. [The love you find will be the same in both of our hearts. A mistake was made, by one or the other, let us both ask for forgiveness].”

The story appears to centre the people at the heart of the conflict, placing the responsibility of the split between East and West Pakistan on external factors. Judging from the trailer, Khel Khel Mein appears to employ a non-linear narrative, with flashbacks from the past constituting a large part of the film.

The fact that Nabeel Qureshi and Fizza Ali Meerza have come forward with Khel Khel Mein is highly appreicated.”

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